KEY POINTS:
The Warriors under-20s side were always in control of the curtainraiser at Mt Smart last night to record their sixth win in the Toyota Cup, blitzing Souths 31-4.
The victory puts them inside the top eight for the first time and if they continue to perform like that, they'll stay there.
The most encouraging thing from the point of view of the top team is the continued development of players in key positions, their halfback Isaac John, captain and five-eighths Daniel O'Regan and fullback Kevin Locke all strong again as usual.
The Junior Warriors opened by sending the kick-off dead. On a couple of occasions players who made line-breaks took the wrong option with the pass and they allowed Souths some line-breaks with poor tackles. But otherwise they played a well-structured and cleanly controlled game, mounting pressure by forcing goal-line dropouts.
Prop Leeson Ah Mau had the first try after 14 minutes, and at 34 minutes centre Rusty Bristow went in off a well-delivered long ball from John.
The Warriors continued to apply themselves with enthusiasm, good kick-chase allowing them to play at the right end of the field. The attack was inventive, the support play good and three more tries followed.
Already forwards Sonny Fai and Russell Packer have progressed from under-20s to the NRL and Ben Matulino has been on standby as 18th man.
Fai was recently re-signed through 2010, as was Matulino, while Packer is contracted through 2012. It's encouraging both for the club and for their teammates.
And the fact that the team can keep winning without its best players is testament to improving depth.
The Warriors led 10-0 at halftime.